NBA veteran Patrick Beverly Praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Mentality

At the time of the trade that sent Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers, the coveted asset in the draft was the five first-round picks. The Oklahoma City Thunder had already received a haul unseen by any team in the NBA at the time.

Even Danilo Gallinari was good return alongside the picks, as he shared a memorable season with the Thunder, enduring the bubble and making a unpredicted playoff run.

However, the key to the trade was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. At the time, he was an unproven prospect that had shown all of the flashes needed and plenty of untapped potential.

At the time, Gilgeous-Alexander was teammates with Patrick Beverly, NBA veteran. On his podcast, The Pat Pev Pod, Beverly praised the former lottery pick's mentality at the time of his departure.

"I'll see you when we link up big bro, when OKC wins a championship," Gilgeous-Alexander told Beverly.

From day one, the 6-foot-6 guard had high aspirations with his new squad. Beverly also mentioned Gilgeous-Alexander said that the Clippers should have kept him over George.

"He knows exactly who is he. He's a superstar," Beverly continued on his podcast.

So far into his career, that can't be denied. Gilgeous-Alexander has improved on a yearly basis and just made his first All-Star appearance while making first-team All-NBA.

Gilgeous-Alexander has been on record making bold claims that paid off, too. As the Thunder were entering unknown territory this past season, the Thunder ultimately surprised the league and made postseason play.

However, the All-Star was expecting it. Ahead of the season, at media day, he claimed the Thunder wouldn't be losing for long.

"I know what I signed up for when I signed a 5 year extension... and I don't think we're gonna be losing for much longer," Gilgeous-Alexander told The Athletic's Andrew Schlecht ahead of the season. "I believe in this team"

The Thunder went on to have a 40-42 record while seemingly turning the corner in their rebuild. If history repeats itself, the Thunder will have their eyes set on a Larry O'Brien trophy in the near future as the team continues and progresses through their rebuild.

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